Resources
BOOKS
Carr, Marilyn, ed. (1991).Women and Food Security: The
Experience of the SADCC Countries. London: IT
Publications.
Eles, Dale, and Fitzpatrick, Mary. (2000).Lonely Planet
West Africa. Singapore: Lonely Planet.
Finlay, Hugh (2000).Lonely Planet East Africa. Singapore:
Lonely Planet.
Fiple, Kenneth F., and Ornelas, Kriemhil Conee`, eds.
(2000).The Cambridge World History of Food, Volumes
1 and 2. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
Harris, Jessica B. (1998).The Africa Cookbook: Tastes of a
Continent. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Lentz, Carola, ed. (1999).Changing Food Habits: Case
Studies from Africa, South America, and Europe.
Sydney, Australia: Harwood Academic Publishers.
Von Braun, Joachim; Teklue, Tesfaye; and Webb, Patrick
(1999).Famine in Africa: Causes, Responses, and Pre-
vention. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
OTHER
Haslwimmer, Martina (1996). ‘‘AIDS and Agriculture in
Sub-Saharan Africa.’’ Available fromhttp://www
.fao.org
Jens Levy
M. Cristina F. GarcesAfrican-American diet
Definition
The 2000 U.S. Census revealed that there were
almost 35 million African Americans, or about
13%of the total U.S. population. This small percent-
age of the populace has had a significant influence on
American cuisine, not only because African-American
food is diverse and flavorful, but also because of its
historical beginnings. Despite their cultural, political,
economic, and racial struggles, African Americans
have retained a strong sense of their culture, which
is, in part, reflected in their food.
Origins
The After effects of Slavery
The roots of the diversity of African-American
cuisine may be traced back to 1619, when the first
African slaves were sold in the New World. In a quest
to build new cities in America, Europeans actively
transported Africans and West Indians (people from
the West Indies) to the new land. The West Indies (in
the Caribbean Sea) was part of the slave route to
America. Because the West Indians’ skin color was
similar to that of Africans, they were not treated any
differently. As a result, some West Indian food tradi-
tions are similar to those of African Americans.
It is not surprising that African-American food has
a distinctive culinary heritage with diverse flavors, as it
includes traditions drawn from the African continent,
the West Indies, and from North America. While the
European nations were busy establishing new societies,
they did not realize that the African and West Indian
slaves who worked for them brought their own vibrant
and and rich culture—a culture that would withstand
and adapt to the harsh centuries of slavery.
Food historian Karen Hess writes about the strug-
gle of African Americans to maintain some of their
original culture through food. ‘‘The only thing that
Africans brought with them ‘‘from Africa’’ was their
memories.’’ Slave traders attempted to craft culturally
sensitive rations for the Africans by including yams,
rice, corn, plantains, coconuts, and scraps of meat in
the slaves’ provisions.
Southern slaves established their own cooking
culture using foods that were similar to foods that
were part of their African and West Indian heritages,
and many popular foods in the African-American diet
are directly associated with foods in Africa. For
instance, the African yam is similar to the American
sweet potato. White rice is also popular because it was
a major part of the diet in West Africa. African Amer-
icans infuse plain rice dishes with their own savory
ingredients (popular rice dishes include gumbo and
‘‘hoppin’ John,’’ a dish made with rice, black-eyed
peas, and salt pork or bacon).Increase in overweight and obesity prevalence
among U.S. adults* by racial/ethnic groupOverweight Obesity
(BMI 25) (BMI 30)
prevalence (%) prevalence (%)
1988 to 1999 to 1988 to 1999 to
Racial/ethnic group 1994 2000 1994 2000
Black (non-Hispanic) 62.5 69.6 30.2 39.9
Mexican American 67.4 73.4 28.4 34.4
White (non-Hispanic) 52.6 62.3 21.2 28.7
*Ages 20 and older for 1999 to 2000 and ages 20 to 74 for 1988 to 1994.
SOURCE: CDC, National Center for Health Statistics, National
Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Flegal et. al. JAMA.
2002; 288:1723-7 and IJO. 1998; 22:39-47(Illustration by GGS Information Services/Thomson Gale.)African-American diet